Auger unit for a granular material transport wagon

Abstract

A wheel supported wagon includes a gravity discharge container or hopper for directing grain, feed, dry fertilizer or other granular material into a receiving box mounted on the side of the hopper. An inclined elongated auger unit includes a tubular conduit enclosing a hydraulically driven auger, and the lower end portion of the conduit has an inwardly projecting and upwardly curved annular upper flange. The flange seats on a downwardly projecting and outwardly curved lower flange forming part of an annular auger support member projecting downwardly from the material receiving box. The mating flanges provide for rotating the auger unit on a vertical axis and also for tilting the auger unit in a vertical plane at any selected rotational position.

The invention having thus been described, the following is claimed: 
     
       1. A conveyor unit for granular material and adapted to be mounted on a wheel supported wagon including a container for transporting the material, said unit comprising an annular wall forming a tubular support member having a generally vertical axis and defining a passage, said support member including an outwardly curved lower annular flange having a radius of curvature substantially greater than the thickness of said wall, means for directing material from the container into said passage, an elongated conveyor conduit having a lower end portion and an upper end portion including means defining a discharge outlet, a power driven conveyor member within said conveyor conduit for conveying material from said lower end portion to said upper end portion and through said discharge outlet, said lower end portion of said conduit including an upper wall having an upwardly curved annular flange disposed around said tubular support member above said outwardly curved lower annular flange, said outwardly curved flange supporting said upwardly curved flange and said lower end portion of said conduit in suspended relation, said curved flanges cooperating to provide for substantial rotation of said conveyor conduit relative to said tubular support member generally on said axis to a selected angular position, said curved annular flanges also cooperating to provide for tilting said conduit in a generally vertical plane and relative to said tubular support member at a selected rotational position of said conduit, and said curved annular flanges further cooperating to provide for confining the granular material and self-centering of said flanges in response to the weight of said conveyor conduit and said conveyor member. 
     
     
       2. A unit as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said upper and lower flanges and defines a circular opening. 
     
     
       3. A unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for directing material from the container into said passage of said tubular support member comprise a material receiving box having a bottom wall, means for attaching said box to the container, and said tubular support member projects downwardly from said bottom wall of said box. 
     
     
       4. A conveyor unit for granular material and adapted to be mounted on a wheel supported wagon including a container for transporting the material, said unit comprising an annular wall forming a tubular support member having generally an hour-glass cross-sectional configuration and a generally vertical axis and defining a passage, said support member including an outwardly curved lower annular flange having a radius of curvature substantially greater than the thickness of said wall, means for directing material from the container into said passage, an elongated conveyor conduit having a lower end portion and an upper end portion including means defining a discharge outlet, a power driven conveyor member within said conveyor conduit for conveying material from said lower end portion to said upper end portion and through said discharge outlet, said lower end portion of said conduit including an upper wall having an upwardly curved annular flange disposed around said tubular support member above said outwardly curved lower annular flange, said outwardly curved flange supporting said upwardly curved flange and said lower end portion of said conduit in suspended relation, said curved flanges cooperating to provide for substantial rotation of said conveyor conduit relative to said tubular support member generally on said axis to a selected angular position, said curved annular flanges also cooperating to provide for tilting said conduit in a generally vertical plane and relative to said tubular support member at a selected rotational position of said conduit, and said curved annular flanges further cooperating to provide for confining the granular material and self-centering of said flanges in response to the weight of said conveyor conduit and said conveyor member. 
     
     
       5. A conveyor unit for granular material and adapted to be mounted on a wheel supported wagon including a container for transporting the material, said unit comprising a tubular support member having a generally vertical axis and defining a passage, said support member having generally an hour-glass cross-sectional configuration and a downwardly projecting and outwardly curved lower flange, means for directing material from the container into said passage, an elongated conduit having a lower end portion and an upper end portion including means defining a discharge outlet, a power driven conveyor member within said conduit for conveying material from said lower end portion to said upper end portion and through said discharge outlet, said lower end portion of said conduit including an upper wall forming an inwardly projecting and upwardly curved upper flange disposed around said tubular support member and above said lower flange, said lower flange supporting said upper flange and said lower end portion of said conduit in suspended relation, said upper and lower curved flanges providing for substantial rotation of said conduit relative to said tubular support member and generally on said axis to a selected angular position, said upper and lower curved flanges providing for tilting said conduit in a generally vertical plane and relative to said tubular support member at a selected rotational position of said conduit, and said upper and lower curved flanges providing for self-centering of said flanges.